Baltimore’s war on statues has begun

Baltimore’s war on statues has begun (“Baltimore to keep, clean defaced Francis Scott Key statue,” Sept. 13), and city officials claim “they know of no way to prevent future vandalism.” I suggest we place a surveillance camera near each and every monument so perpetrators could be caught in the act. Simple answer, problem solved.

Mayor Catherine Pugh’s midnight ride to rid Baltimore of Confederate statues was the opening shot, now Columbus is in the cross hairs and apparently so is Francis Scott Key. Eric Holcomb, executive director of the city’s Commission for Historical and Architectural Preservation, claims he “understood the vandals’ intent,” but called the incident “disheartening.” Please, Mr. Holcomb explain to us what that “intent” was, other than outright criminal destruction.

History teaches us about the past, and those lessons help us understand the present. By doing away with every inconvenient, messy reality, we annul the curricula. George Orwell illustrated the perfect solution to do away with past unpleasantness in his iconic novel 1984. Perhaps Baltimore should construct an enormous “memory hole” somewhere within city limits! City Council might propose such a resolution.

Then again Baltimore might do nothing about the defaced Key monument. This destructive commentary could remain so citizens can see what cowardly bigots do in the middle of the night. Disfiguring the statue of Francis Scot Key is a monument to intolerance and stupidity.